APOD: 2026 August 20 – The Elephant’s Trunk in Cepheus

NASA Science reports that today's Astronomy Picture of the Day features the Elephant’s Trunk Nebula in the northern constellation Cepheus. Also known as vdB one hundred forty‑two, the nebula stretches more than twenty light‑years and sits roughly three thousand light‑years away, covering about one degree of sky—just under the width of two full moons. Its dark, tendril‑shaped clouds of dust and gas hold the raw material for star formation, concealing young protostars within. The site notes that tomorrow’s picture will be titled “pixels in space.”

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